Tunings

Playing in open fifths (CGDAE) leads to some tuning paradoxes, especially when trying to choose precise pitches for the sympathetic strings. Hence, players will often use 'open tunings', so that the relationship between the strings is no longer fifths. This is common practice too in the world of hardanger fiddle playing.

'Standard tuning' for a hardanger fiddle is often considered to be ADAE. Hence, we might think of DADAE as 'standard tuning' for the hardanger d'amore.

Tuning the sympathetic strings is usually done to optimise the resonance for the key of the piece you are playing. The range they span is usually quite compressed, coinciding roughly with the tuning of the bowed A and D strings. With the standard tuning listed above, we might tune the sympathetic strings to BDEF#A for tunes in D major, and to BbDEFA for D minor.

Tunings used by players

(automatically generated from the info on each player's page)

players	Tunings
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh	DADAE DAEAE Fead an Iolair on Vimeo on RTE via YouTube Aonar DAEAC# What What What Jack of Diamonds AAEAC# CAEAC DADF#E Leathan le Leathan Gollywhopper Folamh DADFE CAbCGC Tuireamh na n-Iolar Caol le Caol on Vimeo Mausoleum Laghdú on Vimeo CGCGC
Dan Trueman	AAEAC# Leathan le Leathan Gollywhopper Folamh Jack of Diamonds What What What some traditional Norwegian tunes as well AAEAE Fead an Iolair Aonar DADF#E Orton's Ode C#AEAC# Ghostwalk Deiseal F#C#F#AE Willow Ways of the Underworld DADAE some Norwegian and Old Time tunes
David Boyden	DADAE / BDEF#A DGADE / BDEGA CGDAE / BbDFGA BWV 1001 III. Siciliano Reel de Jaques Cartier